


A Dragon's Promise

by KibaSin



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, YuYu Hakusho
Genre: Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-07
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2017-11-18 04:42:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/557016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KibaSin/pseuds/KibaSin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When an ancient spell begins to crack, the Dragon of the Darkness Flame's past comes back to haunt Hiei in more ways than one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:**  I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho. They belong to Takahashi Rumiko-sama and Yoshihiro Togashi-sama.

 **Rating:**  T

 **Genre:**  General

* * *

The wind picked up forcefully, whipping the thick, black strands of hair into the air. Yet, the woman refused to be moved, while her hand clenched around the small, round object shining between her fingertips. Her feet dug deep into the soil, defying the increasing wind, even when it caught a hold of her clothing and whipped it around her flesh.

Anchoring herself firmly, the woman closed her eyes and unleashed her energy. It instantly bathed the land in a light blue hue, while burrowing its way deep into the confines of the Earth. And then, settled, it pulsed. Her energy called out again, pulsing, and it was not long before a deafening roar answered the call.

Black fire spewed from the ground, rising upward. It flickered in the woman's determined blue eyes, making them appear darker, as a creature began to form within the black flames. The creature roared only once, forcing the swollen clouds above them to release the rain they held in thick droplets, before it settled its flaming red eyes upon the woman.

Raising her hand, the woman allowed the pink light shining from the object there to caress the creature's black hide. Then, her voice low and demanding, she called, "I have accepted your terms. The Shikon no Tama is yours."

Through the darkness and the rain, the creature's red eyes brightened considerably. It roared again, immediately lifting itself from the ground and flying at the woman with increasing speed. Within a flash, the Shikon lay cradled in its claw, while the drenched woman crumbled to the ground. Yet the creature did not leave her there, as it gripped her clothing and lifted her into the sky, seeking out a suitable place to fulfill its end of the bargain.

The Shikon no Tama, shining brightly within flight, sank slowly into the creature's hide. And despite the evil nature that radiated from within the creature, the purity locked deep within the little jewel latched itself onto the creature and fueled it with its power. It became a part of the creature, changing it, as the beast sought out the perfect place to leave the jewel's pervious guardian.

 _ **Chapter**_   _ **One**_

"Tell us why we're here, damn it," Yusuke growled.

Koenma shot him a dark look, while he continued to shuffle through the thick load of files upon his desk. He grumbled a little afterward, cursing the ungrateful boy, though he knew it was not Yusuke's fault that his desk had become a disaster zone.

Kurama coughed behind his hand, smiling a little. "While I would not have asked so harshly, I believe we would all like to know why we have been summoned, Koenma," he said.

Nodding, Kuwabara agreed, "Yeah."

"Yes, well," Koenma huffed, "when I find—" he paused, "—Oh, here it is!"

"About damn time," Yusuke muttered in annoyance.

Glaring at Yusuke once more, Koenma roughly turned on the screen at their left. "If you'll all direct your attention to the screen," he hissed. "Now—"

"What the fuck?" Yusuke exclaimed. He had to squint his eyes a little to make sure he was actually seeing what he thought he saw, before he blinked in surprise. "Is that a woman?"

The group blinked in surprise, even Hiei, who leaned a little further into the wall against his back.

"Yes," Koenma sighed. He was  _never_  going to get any work done today. "This is a videotape taken in an isolated part of the Makai. The land there is said to be sacred and demons tend to avoid it as much as they can, however, it has recently been brought to my attention that this woman, clearly trapped in a crystal formation as you can see, is located in the center of the area. The fact that she is trapped there did not concern me all that much—"

" _What!?_ " Kuwabara snapped. "How can you not—"

"— _or_ , at least it didn't,  _until_ ," Koenma continued, "I managed to find out who the woman was exactly."

"And who is she exactly?" Kurama asked.

"Her name is Higurashi Kagome," Koenma sighed. "Her purpose in life was to destroy an evil half-demon named Naraku, while collecting the shards of a jewel she managed to break five hundred years ago."

Kurama's eyes flashed gold, as Youko rose to the surface. "A broken jewel? You would not happen to be speaking of the Shikon no Tama, would you, Koenma?"

Curiously, Hiei felt the dragon wriggle a bit beneath the wards he had placed upon it. He glanced down at the arm, subconsciously flexing his fingers, while the creature tried to burn its way through the thick wards. However, he was quick to suppress it, allowing the Jagan to slip open a crack to bring it back under his control.

"I would," Koenma replied.

"Odd," Kurama muttered. "I had heard that it disappeared."

"It did," Koenma told them. "However, because Kagome's incarnation, a miko by the name of Kikyo, had ordered the jewel to be burned with her body, the Shikon no Tama attached itself to the girl's soul. As a result, when she was finally reincarnated, the jewel formed inside her body over the course of fifteen years. And on her fifteen birthday, the devious little thing reactivated the magic inside a well on the girl's shrine and drug her five hundred years into the past."

Sighing, Kurama said, "If you had listened to my pervious statement, Koenma, you would know that I already knew the jewel reappeared the first time. I was speaking of the second, after the battle with Naraku."

"O-oh," Koenma grinned nervously. "Of course."

"Well?" Kurama pressed.

Yusuke snickered silently to himself. It was great to finally see the toddler squirm.

"Unfortunately, the girl somehow managed to slip by us after the battle with Naraku," Koenma sighed. "She just disappeared completely one week after it occurred, taking the completed Shikon no Tama with her."

"But," Kuwabara asked, "how did she end up there?"

"I don't know," Koenma shook his head.

The dragon began to wriggle again. Hiei quickly, once again, suppressed it. The fact that the beast was becoming excited made him curious, but nothing good would ever come from the dragon's release. So, he pressed it down, positive that the dragon would not slip through the wards  _and_  the Jagan's hold.

Before Koenma could speak again, Yusuke cut in, saying, "Let me guess, you want us to break her out of there?"

Glaring at the teen, Koenma growled, "Yes and no."

"Yes and no?" Yusuke blinked. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Do you want us to break her out of there or not?"

"If you had been paying any attention  _at all_ ," Koenma huffed, "you'd know that this is a  _videotape_  taken within the area. I have not played it yet, Yusuke, which is the reason for my answer."

"Well, then play the damn tape already so we can get out of here," Yusuke replied.

Shaking his head at the disrespect Yusuke continued to use, Koenma allowed his finger to press the button that activated the videotape. It took a moment, but the screen slowly began to play, frame by frame, as the trapped woman continued to sleep peacefully within her tomb.

"Is something  _supposed_  to happen?" Kuwabara asked.

"Just wait a moment," Koenma said. "Just watch."

Suddenly, as a deafening crack flitted into the room, the side of the woman's tomb split a part. A large chunk of the crystal formation fell to the ground with a thump, before it dissolved away in a matter of seconds.

"Did that just—?"

"Yes it did, Kuwabara," Kurama nodded in surprise. He had expected a demon to come forth from the background, somehow steal the woman, and laugh in the face of the Gods. He had lightly expected a demon to come sensing the Shikon no Tama, for surely the woman still had it, before trying to tear into the crystal formation with no luck. But, the last thing he expected was for the crystal to break suddenly and without warning, especially when there was nothing around the woman that might have caused such a thing.

The tape played on, another loud crack filling the room when another piece of crystal fell from the woman's side. And it became quite obvious that her hand was nearly free, and depending on when the video was taken, might already be.

"You see," Koenma said, "the crystal formation she is trapped within is beginning to dissolve away for some strange reason. My father and I are not certain if it is because of Kagome or some outside force at this moment, but we do know that it will be disastrous if the crystal dissolves completely and she somehow manages to awaken. And even if she doesn't, there is a good chance that the missing Shikon no Tama is on her person, and demons are going to flock there in order to obtain it—"

The dragon wriggled, twisting, and Hiei began aware of the small amount of black fire rising up and away from the edges of the wards he had placed upon the beast. He nearly growled, placing his other hand upon the fabric, while the dragon became increasingly defiant.

Kurama glanced in his direction, eyes narrowing.  _Hiei?_  he called.

 _ **It's nothing**_ , the hybrid replied. Quickly, he cut off the link and shut out the curious fox. After all, the dragon was under his control now, and it would listen to his command. It would calm itself once it realized it could not escape his hold, and then there would be no problem.

"—So, I'm sending you four out in order to retrieve Higurashi Kagome, or at least the body if she does not awaken," Koenma finished. "We cannot allow the Shikon to fall in the wrong hands, no matter what."

Surprisingly, Hiei felt the dragon hiss in amusement, the hair on his arm rising, before it became still.

"What are we wa—?" Yusuke began.

" _However_ ," Koenma coughed, "it is going to take us at least three hours to obtain a fixed lock on the area in order to send you there. The energy that Kagome emits, which I now believe is the reason demons tend to shy away from the area, hides her location and makes it nearly impossible to create a portal anywhere near the place."

Yusuke bristled, shouting, " _What!?_  You drug us all the way here to tell us all this shit, only to make us wait three hours in order to actually leave?! Why the hell didn't you just call us three hours from  _now_?!"

"I wouldn't have enough time to explain!" Koenma snapped. "Kagome's holy energy would have destroyed the lock and you would have had to wait anyway! And, not only that, Yusuke, but I don't think you  _want_  to go prancing around the Makai in the middle of the night!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yusuke yelled.

"It means that you might get yourself killed,  _again_!" Koenma roared. The boy was walking toward him, his voice increasing in volume, so he quickly rose up in his chair and placed his hands onto his desk to lean forward. There was  _no way_  Urameshi Yusuke was going to push him around, not today!

" _Toddler—_!"

Closing his eyes, Kurama sighed. Then, turning his attention to his old friend, he asked, "Would you like to retreat to one of the rooms available in order to rest, Hiei?"

Recognizing the golden flash in the fox's eyes, Hiei growled, "You go to your room, fox. If I feel the need to rest, I will, and you will do well to keep your hands away from my person."

' _Prude little bastard,_ ' Youko scoffed.

"Forgive me for having asked my question in such a way," Kurama chuckled. "Youko has been rather restless lately."

' _Damn right I have,_ ' Youko growled. ' _Something is going to happen, I can feel it in my bones._ '

 _ **You don't have any**_ , Hiei reminded him.

' _It's a figure of speech!_ ' Youko hissed, clearly not in the mood.

Turning his attention away from the spirit locked inside his conscious, Kurama looked toward their other companion. "How about you, Kuwabara?" he asked.

"Sure," Kuwabara nodded. "I need the sleep, anyway, with how much Shizuru's been pushin' me around."

"Well then, we're off," Kurama said. "We'll see you later, Hiei."

"Hn," the hybrid shrugged. He had no need for sleep at the moment, and it would have been pointless to try and force himself into such a vulnerable state while in the Reikai. Besides, as he glanced down at his arm, he had much better ways to pass the time.


	2. Chapter 2

The Jagan open, the dark section of his mind that the dragon resided in opened up to him with ease. Thin tendrils of smoke rose up from the ground with each step he took, but he took no notice as it swirled around his feet and caressed him. This was his mind, and despite the dragon's influence, it would  _always_  be his mind.

Stepping beyond what appeared to be a fiery threshold, Hiei felt a thick mass of energy assault him. He did not pause, though, knowing that the dragon recognized him immediately, and continued until he stood before a dark, smoke-covered altar. Then, waving his hand, he watched as the intricate design of the dragon became clear to his eyes.

"That girl—" the dragon design pulsed in recognition, "—she excited you.  _Why?_ "

The intricate designed barely rippled, as it shifted along the stone.

Thoroughly annoyed with the beast, Hiei allowed the Jagan to flare. The design rippled again, as he snapped, "Answer me, beast."

After a moment, with the Jagan's threat still in place, a chilling voice echoed into the room. 'If that is what you desire, Master,' it called, as the smoke surrounding the altar began to rise. The intricate dragon design could be seen swimming within the vortex, but as quickly as it formed, it dissipated, and a lone figure was left sitting patiently upon the cold, dark stone.

Gazing upon the womanly form indifferently, Hiei's eyes narrowed in thought. The dragon always chose to take the same form within his mind, and though he had always believed it had to do with his conscious desires, he now realized that that was not the case. The woman sitting before him was taller, certainly, with hair that hit the floor and gleaming red eyes, but otherwise she  _was_  the trapped miko in all her naked glory.

It was obviously not a coincidence.

Though the woman's mouth never opened, the dragon's voice echoed into the room once more. 'Tell me, Master, what is it you wish of me?'

"The girl," he quickly reminded the beast. It was  _odd_ , he realized, now that he recognized the dragon's chosen form as the miko that Koenma was so concerned over awakening in the Makai. In fact, he was not entirely sure  _how_  he knew it was the woman, since he had not gotten a very good look at her, but he  _knew_. The form could belong to no one else.

The woman's flaming eyes narrowed, as the dragon's voice hissed, 'You are  _very_  arrogant, Master, to believe that only  _you_  have successfully called upon me, known my strength, and tried to use my power for your own purposes.'

Instantly, Hiei scoffed, "That  _human woman_  summoned you and  _survived_?"

Black fire erupted around the dragon's human form, licking throughout the mass of hair cascading toward the ground and caressing the soft, pale skin that seemed so easy to break. 'You may have chained me,  _Master_ , but that does not mean I have not been touched by those who lived before your time,' the dragon replied, hissing.

The hybrid took a single step forward, the Jagan flashing malevolently underneath his control. "What is this?" he sneered. "The mighty Dragon of the Darkness Flame loyal to a  _human woman_  of all things?"

The beast did not reply. It did not need to, for Hiei knew that the dragon was loyal to no one but itself. It was a ruthless killer, much like himself, that fed from the foolish souls that it devoured whenever possible. It needed no one, and would have preferred to remain in solitude than be bound to the mortal plane.

Dropping the subject, Hiei quickly returned to the question that the dragon had avoided. "The girl must have offered you something," he stated. "What did she give you in exchange for her life?"

With a coy smile, the beast said, 'Perhaps she did, perhaps she did not. What does it matter?'

"You're not answering the question," Hiei hissed back. The Jagan immediately ensnared the beast, causing the dragon's womanly form to open her mouth and release a deadly hiss. Clearly, he had the dragon's attention.

' _No_ ,' the chilling voice replied. 'You're simply not asking the right one.'

The Jagan pulsed in glee.

' _Why_  should I tell you anything about this girl?!' the dragon snarled dangerously. ' _Why_  should I explain the reason I let her live?  _Why_ , Master, when you can easily find out in the near future?'

"And  _who_  will give me this information?" Hiei snarled back, " _Koenma?_ "

'Koenma is a  _fool_ ,' the beast snapped.

"Then  _who_?" Hiei demanded, taking another step toward the woman upon the altar. The black fire did not scare him, it did not even burn him, as he grasped onto her slender arm and yanked her down to his eye level. " _Who?_ "

'The girl.' Long, black fangs revealed themselves as the woman pulled back her lips and snarled in his face. The dragon knew it could not use them on the demon that it was chained to, but  _oh_ , how it longed to.

Again, Hiei scoffed, shoving the woman away from him. "There is a very high chance that she will not even awaken once her tomb is destroyed. Her soul might have survived the prolonged sleep, but her body is only human."

' _You_  are the fool if you believe that, Master.'

Watching the woman shift upon the altar before him, Hiei's mind quickly pulled a part the dragon's sentence and deciphered it. " _You_ ," he said very slowly, finding it hard to believe as he came to his final conclusion. "You know how she managed to seal herself in such a way, don't you?"

The woman's red eyes glittered with delight.

"You know because you helped put her there,  _didn't_  you?"

'The well was open—'

It took Hiei a moment to realize the beast was speaking about the gateway that the miko used to jump through time.

'—yet, she could not bring herself to go home,' the dragon muttered softly. 'She had been broken, as she watched her heart tear itself a part with the death of her closest companion. But, like most that have tasted power, she could not accept his death. She could not let him go, because her broken heart refused to believe that the one she loved so much could possibly be gone forever.

'Some,' the dragon continued after a pause, 'called her insane, as she chose to argue with her companion's elder brother. For you see, he held the gift of life in his hand and could easily strike life back into the dead when compassion filled his heart.  _But_ , she argued nonetheless, even when he tried desperately to tell her that her companion's soul was gone. And, oh, how he tried, but she could not be appeased as he explained that her companion's soul had been torn a part by the very jewel she was meant to protect.'

The woman upon the altar raised one hand into the air, swirling the smoke that had settled in the air. 'Despite the pleas of her living companions, she held onto the hope that she could revive him somehow. So, in secret, she searched for any trace of him, using the Shikon no Tama as her guide, and soon found that a fraction of her lost companion's soul had survived the brutal torture it had been put through. It had changed, grew in an attempt to heal itself, but she knew the feel of her companion's soul and delighted in the thought that he might live again.'

Hiei listened, watching the dragon's womanly form closely. Deep in his mind, a part of him could almost  _see_  the events that the beast spoke of, and it troubled him. He did not care about the trapped miko's plight, her pain, yet he could clearly see a pair of stunning blue eyes flash behind his eyes. And, he knew, it was the insanity he could see leaking into the corner of those eyes that truly troubled him.

' _But_ , her happiness died quickly.' Once more, the dragon paused. 'Despite the blind devotion that she felt for her companion, she realized that she could not use the Shikon no Tama to resurrect him as she had originally hoped. That would certainly taint it, throw the world back into chaos, and there would be nothing to stop the mass destruction that would occur. Her soul could not do such a thing, even blinded by devotion and insanity, and she spent days afterward despairing for the loss of her closest companion.

'Then, after what seemed like an eternity for her, her broken soul came to a stunning realization. She would not wish on the Shikon no Tama,  _but_  she could easily use it to bargain with a higher power in order to find the one that would one day be born with her lost companion's shattered soul.'

" _Reincarnation?_ " Hiei scoffed. The woman had to have been insane, believing that the person she sought would be the same as the one she remembered. Especially when it was only a fraction of his original soul.

Smoke billowed from the corner of the woman's mouth, as she smiled slightly. 'Indeed,' the dragon replied. 'She was so far gone that she did not care if his soul was the same or not. She merely wanted to love it, to cherish it, and continue to show it that she was best suited to stand beside it.'

Hiei decided it was time to change the subject. Such blind devotion was ridiculous, and it almost made him ill to think about the miko giving such to a dead man. Those beautiful blue eyes in his mind looked insane because of such devotion, and truly, that alone solidified his opinion. The miko had been utterly stupid to give out such loyalty.

The dragon waited patiently, as it always did.

"How do you know all of this?" he finally asked. And, almost immediately, Hiei realized that it was the wrong question to ask.

'How does anyone know anything, Master?' the dragon mocked.

"How are  _you_  connected to that girl?" Hiei scowled. He had not forgotten his earlier question, knowing that the dragon had been summoned by the miko at some time, and he wanted his answer now. Though, he had a feeling he  _knew_  why the dragon allowed the miko to live.

The dragon's womanly form finally stopped playing with the smoke billowing from the corner of her mouth, and shifted herself so she was playing with a thin chain around her neck instead. A tiny, pink jewel hung from the end, swinging with each roll of her fingers. Her fiery eyes focused on the hybrid, noticing the way his eyes were drawn to the little jewel, and a giggle filled the silence.

"The Shikon no Tama," Hiei stated. He recognized the pull easily enough, even when he had only heard stories of the legendary jewel. And, as his mind shifted through the dragon's story, the entire situation fell easily into place. "That is the reason you allowed her to live, because she gave you the Shikon no Tama in exchange for sealing her away."

'I was not always this powerful, Master,' the dragon sneered. 'And, like mortals, even I can be tempted with that which seems beyond my reach.'

" _But_ , that still does not explain why she is reawakening. Did her companion's soul return, or did your seal merely not hold up—?" he went to continue, when the dragon hissed darkly.

'Perhaps her companion's soul did return, perhaps it did not. What does it matter to you, Master?' the dragon asked.

"Your right," Hiei smirked. "Why should it matter to me whether the soul has been reincarnated or your spell is breaking due to a flaw?"

The woman upon the altar watched, her gleaming red eyes mere slits, as the hybrid turned on his heel and finally walked away. It surprised her that he did not push the matter, since he usually wished to know every last detail, but she would not give up her good fortune.

Soon, he would understand. And then, the dragon's debt would be paid.


	3. Chapter 3

"You're sure about this one, right?" Yusuke scowled, scratching lightly at his cheek. He snuck a quick glance at the blue haired reaper giving him a look that clearly stated, ' _of course_ ,' and shrugged. "This portal isn't suddenly going to dump us into a horde of demons that want to tear us into iddy bitty pieces?"

"Don't talk like that, Urameshi," Kuwabara huffed.

" _What?_ " Yusuke smirked. "I'm only making sure. The last time we had a miscalculation, you got yourself beaten black and blue by that cat demon chick. I mean, I'm sure I can keep you from getting yourself killed, Kuwabara, but I'm just lookin' out for you, man."

Kuwabara growled, cracking his knuckles at the statement. "I'm _ten_ times tougher than you, Urameshi! It'll be me having to watch out for your—"

"Will you two shut up, we're leaving."

Yusuke glanced toward the fire hybrid, asking, "What's crawled up your ass, Hiei?"

"I'm afraid that I must agree with Hiei on this matter," Kurama sighed. It would not do them any good to start an argument at this moment and time. "The last time there was a miscalculation was unfortunate, but I'm positive that Koenma and Botan have taken every precaution to make sure we arrive at our proper destination. This was a very _delicate_ matter, after all."

Botan blushed prettily, as Kurama's green eyes settled onto her.

His lip lifted in annoyance, Hiei shoved by Kuwabara and stepped toward the portal. Glaring over his shoulder, he sneered, "When you three have decided to stop acting like complete fools, I'll be on the other side." He was gone in the next instant, only a slight ripple in the black portal indicating that he had even been in the room.

"What's gotten into the shrimp?" Kuwabara muttered.

Kurama shook his head lightly, saying, "I don't know, Kuwabara. Hiei is a rather reserved individual. Perhaps he is merely eager to get this mission done and over with?"

"Yeah, well," Yusuke snorted, "he can take that stick he's got shoved up his ass today and—"

" _Yusuke!_ "

 _"Eh?"_ Yusuke blinked, turning his head as Botan stepped up behind him. He frowned slightly at the look she was giving him, tapping her foot in irritation, and briefly wondered if she had gotten into the same cookie jar of ' _no more fucks to give_ ' that Hiei had. "You gotta problem, Botan?"

The reaper huffed, saying, "You're wasting valuable time! Don't you realize that this portal will only stay open for so long before it _closes_? There's no telling how long it'll take us to recalibrate everything in order to open it again, so get going, will you!"

 _"Hey!"_ Yusuke yelped, as Botan gave him a rather hard shove from behind. "Don't shove me!"

"Well, I wouldn't have to if you stopped standing around talking about Hiei, now _would_ I?" Botan shoved him again, satisfied with herself as the spirit detective stumbled toward the portal. There was no telling how long the portal would stay open, despite the time and effort they had taken in order to create it. "Koenma and I went through all this trouble to make certain that the miko's energy didn't drop you off into a ravine!"

"There might be a _ravine_ on the other side of this?" Yusuke exclaimed.

"Oh, will you just go already!" Botan huffed, giving him another hard, satisfying push.

"Fine, _fine,_ we're going, okay?" Yusuke shrugged the reaper off of him with ease, scowling as he stepped up to the portal. "But, I _swear,_ if there's a ravine on the other side of this portal, I'm going to kick somebody's ass when I get back here, ya got it?"

"Could there actually be a ravine on the other side of that portal, Botan?" Kuwabara asked, looking doubtful as Yusuke finally stepped into the black mass. He figured Yusuke could handle it if there was, despite the drop, but he was not entirely certain if he wanted to risk breaking his own leg due to some miscalculation.

"No," Botan sighed, "of course not, Kuwabara. I am absolutely certain that this portal would drop you all off roughly one hundred yards from the miko's location. It's a very stable area. There isn't even a ravine nearby."

"Oh, _okay,"_ and with that Kuwabara stepped into the portal, too.

Kurama's eyes creased in amusement, as he nodded briefly toward the reaper. There was never a lack of entertainment when the Spirit Detective squad was together, and he was certain that whether or not this miko had awakened when they arrived, the trip was sure to be quite interesting. "Thank you, Botan."

"Of course!" Botan smiled, tipping her head into one of her hands happily.

The fox avatar then stepped into the portal and was happy to find that he stepped onto firm, solid grass deep within the Makai. The air crackled around him with a familiar energy he had not felt since he was truly Youko Kurama once he settled, and he had to take a moment to steady himself. He felt the ripple of his form, as the energy demanded he reveal himself, and quickly noted with his sharp, golden gaze that Yusuke had taken on his Mazoku form underneath the energy's unrelenting request.

"You, too, huh?" Yusuke smirked, the look on his face damn near _feral._

Kuwabara shivered, his sixth sense suddenly high on alert. The girl's energy was brilliant and _pure,_ and it _sang_ to him on a spiritual level. He could not understand how anyone would have trapped such a soul deep within the Makai of all places, as he saw it twist and expand away from her body, searching, _pleading,_ for _something_ that she could not seem to find.

It was the dark pinprick of black fire entwined deep within her aura that drew his attention to the bright red string drifting from inside her prison. It was so faint he had not seen it at first, but it was _there,_ and—

"Hey, short stuff." Yusuke drew their attention to the fire apparition standing nearby, his hand clenched around his arm wrapped tight with seals containing the Dragon of the Darkness Flame. "You okay over there?"

Hiei ignored him, ripping the seal away from the Jagan in an effort to contain the frantic struggle of the dragon. The faint flicker of black flames licking along the outside of the wards died for only a moment, the dragon relenting to him, before the holy energy pulsed around them and the struggle began anew. His lip lifted into a snarl, sweat forming on his brow, as he felt the energy of the girl demand he release the beast.

"Hiei?" Kurama asked, his eyes narrowing. "There's something wrong. Hiei's never lost control of the Dragon of the Darkness Flame to this degree before."

"It's _her,"_ Kuwabara said.

"What the fuck do you mean 'it's _her_?'" Yusuke frowned.

Kuwabara could not draw his eyes away from the way the girl's soul pulsed, that pinprick of blackness spreading out like shattered ice as it _cried_ out once more. "That girl," Kuwabara told them, "she has black fire in her aura. Like Hiei's dragon."

"How is that possible?" Kurama felt his ears fold back with the information, as he shifted his focus to the miko trapped not far from their location. Her prison was still mostly intact, but there was a faint hint of black flames licking along the surface. Her holy energy became tangible amongst the fire, discoloring it with a wash of blue. "No one has _ever_ tamed the dragon before Hiei. I don't understand."

"There's…" Kuwabara hesitated to tell them what else he could see then, knowing that they usually laughed at him about his belief that he was tied to Yukina by such a thread. But it was _there,_ faint as it was. "There's a, _uh,_ red string of fate tying her to that dragon. Maybe it's Hiei, though, I can't tell. It's too dim."

"What the fuck does _that_ mean?" Yusuke demanded. The energy surrounding them was setting his teeth on edge, and he was starting to understand why demons avoided this area like the plague. "You can't seriously be tellin' me you think Hiei's destined to be with the girl we're supposed to be savin'?"

"I don't know!" Kuwabara felt the surge of _desire_ that rushed through the air on a physical level, as the girl's soul seemed to thrash and _beg_ to be reunited with the black fire it felt nearby. "I can't see it well enough. It's like," there was _another_ pulse, making him pause, "like it's been _broken."_

The wards burned away with the next pulse of holy energy, the black dragon tattoo beginning to lift from his arm despite his efforts to control the creature. Hiei grit his teeth, wondering for a moment if Koenma would sentence him to the dungeons of Reikai if he killed the girl. The searing heat of the dragon silenced the thought quickly enough, as a faint hiss in his mind told him that _nothing_ would stop it from unleashing the miko from her prison.

A dragon's promise could _not be broken_.

 _"Shit,"_ Yusuke cursed, watching the Dragon of the Darkness Flame as it circled around Hiei.

Kurama settled his hand onto Yusuke's shoulder when he saw him begin to ready his Spirit Gun. "Wait," he said. "If what Kuwabara says is true, the dragon is most likely being drawn to the miko due to her imprisonment. Her energy is cloaking this area thoroughly, so there's a chance that it is merely calling to the dragon to set it free."

"Oh, yeah, because _that_ sounds _great."_ Yusuke cocked his hand up a bit more. "I'm sure all of us will be just fine and fucking dandy if that thing decides it wants to have a snack afterward, too, right?"

"We have to believe in Hiei," Kurama reasoned with him. "If the dragon's goal is simply to set the girl free due to their connection, then Hiei should be able to bring it back under control afterward."

"And how _long_ am I supposed to wait until I'm sure that's gunna happen?" Yusuke snarled. "After she's free, and we suddenly learn that she _still_ has control over it? Because, I don't know about you, man, but that energy she's releasing isn't exactly _friendly,_ and I'm not about to sit around and wait to see if she decides she wants it to kill us."

"Her power bothers you because it is the opposition of demonic energy, Yusuke." Kurama tightened his grip on his shoulder in an attempt to stop him from shooting Hiei and the dragon. "Miko were said to be created by the Gods to protect mankind from demons, gifting them with the ability to turn them to dust with a single touch. If she wished it, she would not need the Dragon of the Darkness Flame to kill you."

Yusuke glanced back at him then, saying, "And _when_ exactly was somebody gunna tell me that?"

"Yusuke," Kurama said firmly. "Koenma would not have sent us on this mission if he did not think we could fulfill it. You must remember that that girl risked her life to fix a shattered jewel, but Koenma did not reveal that she did not do so alone. From the tales I remember as Youko, she was accompanied by a half-demon and a fox kit. _Please,_ lower your hand."

"So, what yer sayin' is she's the _good_ kind of miko?"

 _"Yes,"_ Kurama nodded.

"Fuck, man," Yusuke shrugged his hand off. He eyed the dragon as Hiei attempted to reign it back under his control, the long, black coils drifting around him in a never ending circle. "If we get eatin', I'm blamin' you when we find ourselves in Reikai."

"Fair enough." Kurama flickered his eyes toward Kuwabara, watching the way the only human on their team clenched at his shirt over his heart. He looked ready to fall over from the spiritual pressure being released into the area, as the holy energy clashed heavily with the malevolent energy surrounding the dragon. Kurama felt his eyes widen, though, when Kuwabara's eyes suddenly rolled into the back of his head and he toppled toward the ground.

Yusuke noticed the change, too, as he cried, _"Kuwabara!"_ and raced to his friend's side.

The cry the dragon released was almost deafening when it finally pulled away from the hold the Jagan held upon it. Hiei swayed on his feet from the strain, before he planted them firmly, watching in morbid fascination as the Dragon of the Darkness Flame rushed straight toward the imprisoned miko. The sickening _crack_ that resonated afterward signalled the destruction of her crystal prison, black flames scorching the surrounding earth, though it became apparent that the miko herself was untouched by the devastation when her body was lifted into the sky, suspended amongst the black coils wrapped around her.

The Dragon of the Darkness Flame lowered its head then, a shiver revealing gleaming pink scales that shimmered to life underneath the black flames. That power pulsed with recognition in response to the miko's call, as the dragon opened its maw to unleash a torrent of pink fire that quickly began to eat away at the miko's clothing when it sank into her flesh. The miko's body jerked suddenly, the energy she was releasing dissipating as it returned to her in a flood, and the flames died with a snap of the dragon's jaws.

"What the _hell_ just happened?" Yusuke shouted.

Hiei shifted his hand to his sword, preparing himself in case he had no alternative but to kill the girl to regain control of the dragon. He could clearly make out the distinct black markings that wrapped around her shoulders now, and he grit his teeth knowing that the blasted dragon had not told him that it had marked her for its own in order to imprison her. It explained why it had always taken on her form, as it contained a direct link to her at all times, and had most likely been achieved by the connection the girl had with the Shikon no Tama.

The miko's body pulsed as her soul returned to her, before she pulled in a startled gasp and snapped open her eyes to stare directly into the burning red orbs gazing intently down at her. She moved almost robotically at first, her hands drifting along the black flames of the dragon's jaw, as it lowered her slowly back to her feet. "You've come back," she said softly.

"Hiei!" Yusuke saw the way the fire demon's eyes flickered in his direction in a clear indication that he was listening. "If Kuwabara hadn't said that stuff about that chick being connected to the dragon, I'd think you were a pervert for burnin' away all her clothes!"

 _"Idiot,"_ Hiei muttered darkly.

"Yusuke," Kurama _almost_ sighed, "I don't believe now is the time."

Their attention was drawn back to the miko when she released a high pitched noise in humiliation, having clearly noticed her current state of undress from the way she was attempting to huddle in on herself with the Dragon of the Darkness Flame wrapped tight around her shoulders like a billowing scarf. "Why did you destroy my clothes?!" she hissed at the beast. "That was _not_ part of our deal, you sneaky bastard! Are you trying to punish me for summoning you in the first place?"

Hiei nearly snarled when the dragon refused his summons, curling tighter around the girl's body and shielding her body from view. The Jagan glowed with an eerie light, attempting to drag the hellish creature back to his arm, but to no avail. His thumb flicked his sword up out of its sheath in that instant, as he prepared himself for the only strike he would probably get before the girl's holy energy responded violently to the attempt on her life.

The Dragon of the Darkness Flame released a hiss, settling its gaze upon him then.

The girl's eyes immediately followed, those hauntingly familiar blue orbs settling onto him. She seemed to forget her nudity then, lifting herself back to her feet. She seemed almost possessed, those eyes wide, unfocused and staring deep into something that only she seemed to be able to see in that moment. Then she smiled, _slowly,_ and began to pet the flaming dragon circled around her throat. "Is that _him_?" she asked the creature.

The dragon merely swayed, some form of communication clearly happening between them as more pink scales shimmered and faded along its corporeal form.

Those stunningly beautiful eyes were unsettling then, and that smile she wore was dripping with the insanity that the dragon had spoken of. Hiei nearly spat out a curse, as understanding began to settle deep into his stomach. The dragon had told him that the girl had given it the Shikon no Tama in exchange for being sealed away like a precious jewel herself, but _that_ had not been the full extent of the girl's desire. The creature's promise burned _deeper_ still, as the girl had sought the reincarnation of her lover's fractured soul.

It was _him,_ he realized. The soul she sought was _him,_ and the Dragon of the Darkness Flame had readily led him to this ill fortuned fate for a powerful trinket.

"He finally got _his_ selfish wish," she said softly. She seemed to study him then, before a small frown touched her features. "You're a full demon, but it seems that that selfish wish also cursed you once more. Life has been cruel to you, hasn't it? I'm _so_ sorry."

Hiei lifted his lip in disdain, as he snapped, "Don't _pity_ me, woman."

 _"Uhh,"_ Yusuke muttered, "Kurama?"

The fox demon could only shrug in response, watching the exchange closely. There was clearly more going on then was being said, and he had a feeling that Hiei had answers to many of the questions currently formulating in his head.

 _"Woman?"_ the girl laughed then, amused by some memory that seemed to spark within her gaze. "My name is Kagome. _Ka. Go. Me._ "

Hiei only sneered at her in reply.

"You're _here,_ though." Kagome took a step toward him then, her hand lifting over her heart. "Look at you."

His sword pulled free in an instant. It would be the only warning the girl would receive before he struck. He saw her pause in step, tilting her head to one side as she pondered his movement, and he could not help believe her stupidity when she took another, only to pause, then take another. It was as if she was approaching a frightened deer, and Hiei was not about to be made a fool of.

The barrier lifted the moment he flickered from sight, his sword taking a dozen strikes against the obstacle while the Dragon of the Darkness Flame hissed in amusement at his fury. The girl only watched him as he retreated, the Jagan searching for any sign of weakness in her defense, and he released a small sound of frustration when he found none immediately. It had seemed to be instinctive, risen after her long slumber, but it was impervious with five hundred years of dormant holy energy strengthening it.

Another small laugh escaped her, as Kagome said, "Inuyasha tried to kill me, too. I think everyone has."

"I am _not_ your half-demon lover," Hiei spat. He _refused_ to be some replacement for this woman, and he refocused his concentration on reigning in the Dragon of the Darkness Flame. The beast seemed to huff at him after a moment, as the mark around the girl's shoulders pulsed in response to his call. He would have to kill her, after all, as soon as he could find a way to make her lower her barrier. "He is _dead."_

Kagome dropped her gaze then, as she softly replied, "Yes, _Inuyasha_ is dead."

The fire apparition watched her closely, waiting for any moment of weakness. The moment he found one, he would be at her throat. He would not even give her the chance to scream before he cut out her main artery, relinquishing her of her ability to keep the Dragon of the Darkness Flame at her beck and call. It would be _glorious,_ he knew, for it was clear that the miko was not an opponent to take lightly under serious circumstances, and he relished in the bloodlust that accompanied the thought.

Her smile was dazzling when she captured his gaze once more, halting the need to slit her throat and listen as she took her final breath in an instant. Hiei felt his eyes widen at the sheer sincerity and _love_ within that smile, as she shook her head. _"Inuyasha_ is _dead,"_ she repeated, "but he lives on in _you._ You're not the same person, and I'm not foolish enough to think that you are. I had hoped to only _see_ you, to know that he had been given another chance. I know what it's like to be compared to your incarnation, and I won't make you suffer through that."

There were tears forming at the corner of her eyes, and Hiei looked away from her. Whatever he had thought she would say in her state of mind, _that_ had certainly not been it. There was a wound buried deep within those words, and he felt as if he could almost understand the way she was suffering.

"I only hope that we can become friends," she said. Kagome turned to the dragon curled around her neck then, giving it a final pat, before she motioned toward the small demon refusing to even look at her. "Go on now, return your master. You're making him exhaust himself. Yes, _yes,_ I know," she sighed, "you _like_ being here more, but go on. This isn't where you belong."

Hiei felt the familiar burn of the dragon settling back onto his arm soon after, as he stated, "You're a fool. I could still kill you the instant your barrier lowered, and now you do not have the dragon as extra protection."

"I can't unbind the mark the dragon has placed upon me," she smiled. "But I can promise you that I will never _ever_ attempt to take control of it over you ever again."

"I should kill you anyway for having the power," Hiei hissed.

The foolish girl only smiled brighter back at him, as she said, "I'm sure that we'll be the best of friends,... _Hiei."_

The hybrid was left to wonder in that moment how she had known his name, but he supposed that it could have been given to her through her connection to the dragon.

 _"Uuhhhh,"_ Yusuke scratched at his cheek absentmindedly, "can somebody explain what the fuck is goin' on here to the rest of us?"

The question triggered a chain reaction, as the miko suddenly became aware that she was standing naked in a clearing with more than just the fire demon she had been conversing with and Hiei took advantage of her small shriek of embarrassment when she stumbled in an attempt to find a weakness in her barrier once more. Kurama watched with his calculating gaze, having heard what was said and watched the way the miko gazed upon his friend, and a small, secretive smile graced his lips when he realized that the miko might be right in the end.

After all, the Dragon of the Darkness Flame was part of Hiei, and dragons were notorious for becoming extremely possessive over anything they had claimed as their own. It might only be a matter of time before the fire demon saw her in a similar light, despite whatever reservations he currently had to simply rid her of her head, and Kurama knew that it would most certainly be amusing to watch.

* * *

**_Fin_ **


End file.
